Tuesday, December 29, 2015

2015 Year in Review: FamilySearch Grows as
World’s Foremost Family History Resource

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,
December 29, 2015— FamilySearch.org, an outstanding free website
hosted by FamilySearch International, the foremost family history organization
in the world, has released a 2015 year-end summary of its global efforts to
ultimately connect families across generations. It has made substantial
progress in creating new personal and family discoveries through significantly
more access to historical records, expanded partnerships, a more powerful and
user-friendly online search experience, and hundreds of free localized events
hosted worldwide.

For more than 100 years,
FamilySearch and its predecessors have gathered and preserved worldwide
records, creating the largest collection of genealogical and historical records
in the world. It continues to digitally convert its vaults of microfilm for online
viewing, along with millions more newly captured record images from archives
across the globe.In the past 25 years, it has
been influencing technology and initiatives that engage a broadening swath of
consumers to have emotional, endearing experiences with their family and family
history. It uses its nonprofit status to continue to rally the growing sea of
commercial companies—large and small—in the genealogy and family markets to
join in the noble efforts.

RootsTech
2015, a global family history event held in Salt Lake City, Utah, and hosted by
FamilySearch, uses technology and fun experiences to expand family connections.
It attracted a record 300,000 attendees in person, online, and through local
post–Family Discovery Day events.

During
2015, FamilySearch, in cooperation with several other organizations, launched
the Freedmen’s Bureau Campaign (discoverfreedmen.org)
to finish digitizing and indexing Civil War–era records that are crucial to
African American research success. This project should be completed in 2016.

On
October 23, 2015, FamilySearch celebrated the 30th anniversary of its
well-known FamilyHistory Library in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, which houses the largest
and most expansive collection of family history records in the world. Hundreds
of thousands of patrons still frequent the facility from around the world.

DISCOVERY

The My Family: Stories That BringUs Together booklet, which was launched in 2014, provides an engaging way
to capture and preserve family trees—particularly for those individuals and
cultures who are less tech-savvy. In 2015 the number of languages the popular
booklet was published in was expanded to 42.

More
and more people made use of the local 4,891 FamilySearch facilities (family
history centers) in 2015. North America alone has seen a 25 percent increase in
attendance at these local libraries during 2015. Online, FamilySearch.org has
seen 291,806 visitors daily—an increase of 19 percent.

New
patron discovery experiences have been launched in family history centers
worldwide during 2015, and 1,505 local post–RootsTech family discovery day
events were held.

Enhancements
were introduced to the FamilySearch.org Family
Tree to assist patrons in creating more accurate records and to find
records of their ancestors more easily. The site has introduced a redesigned
landscape pedigree view, easier access to indicators in other tree views, and
safeguard reminders to help patrons avoid making common editing mistakes. The
indicators clearly show possible data problems for an ancestor and
opportunities to provide missing information and help to locate missing
ancestors.

Dynamic
record hints were added through the Search feature at FamilySearch.org to aid
patrons in making new research discoveries. The hints are more plentiful as
they comb through the mountain of new historic records added weekly to the site
from its global records preservation efforts, and the interface has been
improved to easily follow through with or dismiss hints. Over 670 million new
patron hints were generated during the past year.

Through
partnerships with other major online genealogy sites, patrons can now use a
single click to search ancestry.com, findmypast.com, and myheritage.com
for the person they are viewing in FamilySearch’s Family Tree.This
year’s FamilySearch innovations have made searching and recording personal and
family experiences more user-friendly and have improved the accuracy of
FamilySearch’s databases. Searchers can use improved exact matches in their
search criteria to more easily locate records, attach records from search
results to people in their Family Tree, and gather and sort information in the
new hybrid view that combines historical records with their corresponding
indexed information.

FAMILY
TREE

More
than 120,000 new contributors added to Family Tree in 2015, making a total of
2.47 million. The new user-to-user messaging feature in Family Tree simplifies
collaboration with others doing research on the same specific ancestors. There
are now 1.1 billion persons in the FamilySearch Family Tree.

RECORDS

FamilySearch
carries out its mission through a dedicated team of employees and overwhelming
contributions of time by volunteers. FamilySearch has enabled the public
worldwide to use its constantly expanding record collection to make family
connections through 4,891 satellite family history centers in 129 countries,
with 2,864 of those satellite centers located outside the United States. That’s
an increase of 15% over 2014.

The
site launched 158 new historical collections in 2015, (bringing the total to
2,049), and hundreds of millions of new published records have been added to
FamilySearch.org.

Personal
discoveries are fueled by making historical records easily and quickly
accessible online. FamilySearch does this through a combination of digitizing
the world’s historical records online and engaging online volunteers to make
them searchable by patrons worldwide with a few keystrokes. Around the world,
319 camera teams—an increase of 11%—digitally preserved over 122 million
records in 45 countries, and 304,000 online volunteer indexers helped make them
searchable.

In
fact, volunteers logged in over 9 million hours and indexed over 106 million
records in 2015. And 19 million of the records indexed were of international
origin, in languages other than English.

At the
end of 2015, FamilySearch.org now has over 5.31 billion searchable names in
historical records.

Jennifer
Kerns Davis, a manager in FamilySearch’s Records Division, said, “We
republished England Wales censuses with more fields and family groupings that
will make them more easily searchable. It was a huge undertaking that took a
lot of resources. We also have begun similar improvements on the US censuses
that we plan to update in the near future.”

MEMORIES

The
FamilySearch Tree mobile app now enables users to attach photos and stories
(audio and text) to individuals in their Family Tree and to receive
notifications when others add content to specific individuals. The
new memories gallery view allows users to more easily organize, sort, and add
photos, stories, and scanned documents to their
memories collections.

Last
year patrons uploaded 4 million personal family photos and 40,000 new family
stories.

HELP

Volunteerism
is one of FamilySearch’s greatest assets. In addition to online volunteers,
3,850 volunteers serve as FamilySearch missionaries, helping support the
worldwide operations needs. These generous volunteers donated a staggering 3.04
million hours of service. FamilySearch joined with the Smithsonian National Museum of African AmericanHistory and Culture and other organizations to index and publish online the
Freedmen’s Bureau records, a Civil War era collection that will prove very
pivotal for African American research success. A record 12,000 volunteers have
enlisted online to assist (see DiscoverFreedmen.org).

Patrons
needing help can get immediate assistance by telephone (one-on-one to online
volunteer assistants,) by viewing the hundreds of free video courses online,
and by accessing the FamilySearch Wiki, an online reference source with over
100,000 helpful articles that are updated weekly.

FamilySearch
enhanced its online help system in 2015. Users will now notice slide outs that
provide contextual help in key areas on the site where users might need it the
most.

FamilySearch
also added 77 new family
history centers around the world to provide free personal research
assistance to patrons.

Access
FamilySearch’s free services online at FamilySearch.org.

About
FamilySearch

FamilySearch
International is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch
is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization
sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and services to learn
more about their family history. To help in this great pursuit, FamilySearch
and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing
genealogical records worldwide for over 100 years. Patrons may access
FamilySearch services and resources free online at FamilySearch.org or through
over 4,891 family history centers in 129 countries, including the main Family
History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Note: This is a repost from December 23, 2014.This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.23 December – The Meaning of Christmas

If someone dropped out of the sky and was unfamiliar with the concept of Christmas, how would you explain it to them? Can you put the meaning of Christmas into words? What does Christmas represent to you and is it different than when you grew up or from the meaning it had for your ancestors?

Tell us what Christmas means to you and your memories of Christmases past.

I love Christmas. It's a very special time of the year that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Because He was born in Bethlehem so many years ago, and because He fulfilled His divine mission here on earth, we all have the opportunity to return to live with our Heavenly Father again.I'm eternally grateful to our Heavenly Father for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)Please enjoy this beautiful video that tells the Christmas Story.

Friday, December 18, 2015

A note to my wonderful readers: Due to the Christmas and New Year holidays, Fab Finds will be on hiatus until January 8, 2016. A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!My Fab Finds for this week are (in no particular order)

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

One of our family's favorite treats is See's Fudge. I've been making this fudge for years and years. I couldn't even tell you how many pounds of fudge I've made since I started making and sharing this fudge with our family and friends at Christmas.The recipe was given to my mom when I was a child. I don't know if it's really a recipe from See's or not. It has a smooth creamy texture and is delicious and quite popular with my family and friends. Here's what you need to make this delicious See's Fudge recipe. You can also include chopped nuts if you'd like. An important note: make sure to measure out your ingredients BEFORE you begin cooking the fudge on the stove.

Turn the burner on to medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly. I also scrape the sides of the stock pot as I stir.

As soon as you start to see bubbles forming (see the little bubbles in the pot below?), set the timer to 8 minutes. It's important to set the timer as soon as you start to see bubbles forming and not wait until the mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Continue to stir constantly.

Look at all of those bubbles! That's what you want. Keep stirring constantly.

When the 8 minutes is complete, remove stock pot from burner. Add the butter and marshmallows first.

Stir until they are mostly melted.

Add chocolate chips.

Stir to combine.

Add vanilla and stir again.

Immediately pour into prepared 13 x 9 inch pan.

You'll need to work fast because the fudge will start to set up quickly. Spread in the pan and place in the refrigerator.

Let the fudge set up in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, remove the foil insert from the pan and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY, December 15, 2015—Organizers of RootsTech, the largest family history
conference in the world, are pleased to welcome popular lifestyle bloggers Josh
and Naomi Davis (of the Love Taza
website), as keynote speakers in the general session on Friday, February 5, 2016,
during RootsTech 2016.

Millions of Internet viewers know Naomi as Taza as they follow her blog Love Taza, which celebrates
the joy and purpose she and her husband, Josh, share as they raise their three
small children in New York City. She started the website shortly after marrying
Josh in 2007 in New York City while she finished her BFA (bachelor of fine
arts) degree at the Juilliard School. She shares photos and stories of her life
as a newlywed with her family out West.

Since 2007, Love Taza has become more than an online diary—it is a
digital destination where millions around the world connect and find a feeling
of inspiration and a guide for finding joy in everyday life. Naomi shares
details of her life in New York City with her husband and children celebrating
family, home, travel, food, and, most importantly, the simple joys of life.
With Josh’s help, the two have transformed her website into a global business
with a massive, engaged audience.

Josh and Naomi will share their business journey at RootsTech 2016, a global
family history event where people of all ages learn to discover, share, and
celebrate their family connections across generations through technology.
RootsTech has something for everyone regardless of experience in family history
or skill level in technology.

Reserve your seat for RootsTech 2016 to find inspiration from the Davises as
part of a four-star lineup of keynote speakers, get involved in the special
events, and learn from the experts the how-tos of family history, family
stories, and more. Join us for all the events on February 3–6 at the Salt
Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, or choose your day to join
the excitement. Register early for a discount, or pay at the door.

For more information and to register for RootsTech 2016, go to rootstech.org.

About RootsTech

RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is a global conference celebrating
families across generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover
and share their memories and connections. This annual event has become the
largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens of thousands of participants
worldwide.

This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.

Christmas Tree Decorations

Advent Calendar Prompt from 2015 - Do you have unique decorations that you use each Christmas? How did you get them or were they passed down to you from family members? Do you have certain traditions surrounding Christmas decorations such as purchasing one from every state or country you visit? Describe your favorite decorations!

Tell us about your Christmas decorations and your memories of Christmases past.

Our Christmas tree is decorated with traditional round ball ornaments such as you'd find at your local Target or other department store. But, we also have special Christmas ornaments that we've collected or have been given over the years. I'd like to share a few of those with you today.

In previous Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories posts about Christmas tree decorations, I mentioned that I remembered some painted glass bird ornaments from my childhood. They were clipped onto the Christmas tree branches and had decorated bristle-like tails. I inherited one of those birds from my parents. It's a very special heirloom ornament.

Glass Bird Ornament

This is our Fresno California Temple ornament. On April 9, 2000, the Fresno California Temple was dedicated. Our family was able to attend the groundbreaking for the temple on March 20, 1999. During the temple's construction, our family visited the temple site and took pictures. I made a scrapbook that contains those pictures and other items. We are so thankful to have a temple near us. Before the Fresno California Temple was built and dedicated, we attended the Oakland California Temple, which is about three hours north of us.

Fresno Temple Ornament

I made these ornaments years ago. They are round and egg-shaped glass ornaments covered in a gold mesh fabric.

This lovely Nativity Scene ornament was given to me by my sweet friend Ann who lives in Ireland. Ann is the wonderful person who found and gave me many of the Engle Family postcards I now have in my possession. If you haven't read about the amazing story of these postcards, click HERE.

Nativity Scene Ornament

This is our Liahona ornament. It's a beautiful shiny plastic ornament. In the Book of Mormon, there is an account about Lehi, a Hebrew prophet, who found a brass ball outside of his tent door. This brass ball was called the Liahona and was given to Lehi and his people by the Lord. The Liahona provided direction and spiritual instruction to Lehi and his family. To learn more about the Liahona, click HERE.

Liahona Ornament

This beautiful glass ornament decorated with fruit was given to us years ago by some friends.

My friend Sue bought this beautiful ornament for me when she visited Amsterdam several years ago.

Ornament from Amsterdam

Ornament from Amsterdam

This sweet and simple Nativity Scene ornament has graced our Christmas tree for many years.

Nativity Scene Ornament

We purchased these ornaments while we were vacationing in Disneyland.

Disneyland Castle Ornament

Disneyland Ornament

This is our glass bells ornament. We've had it for years. I don't even remember when we bought it.

Glass Bells Ornament

This is our white dove ornament.

White Dove Ornament

Do you have special ornaments on your Christmas tree? Thanks for reading!

Saturday, December 12, 2015

German Pancakes have become a Christmas morning breakfast tradition in our family. I don't even remember exactly when or from where I got the recipe. It's included with a bunch of recipes on a two-sided photocopy paper.

What I do know is that these pancakes are delicious. It's fun to watch the German Pancakes puff up while they bake in the oven. They deflate pretty fast once they're removed from the oven though. But that's okay. They're still really yummy. We serve them with sifted powdered sugar and maple syrup.

Here's the recipe. I hope you enjoy these German Pancakes as much as we do.

German PancakesIngredients

5 Tbsp. butter
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

Melt the butter in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Whip remaining ingredients together (don't puree) and pour into melted butter in pan. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes. It puffs up around the edges and can be topped with syrup, peaches, pears, etc.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

NOTE: This is a repost from December 10, 2014.This is part of the "Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories" by Thomas MacEntee of GeneaBloggers. If you'd like to join in the fun, just click HERE.December 10 – Christmas Traditions

So many of us have family traditions related to Christmas that we learned as children and we still keep to this day. Do you know how your traditions started – is there a “backstory” to each one? What about starting new traditions – how do you start and then keep the tradition going? Are there any traditions which you disliked and that you refuse to keep?

Tell us about your family’s Christmas traditions and your memories of Christmases past.

In this post, I'm not going to share Christmas traditions from when I was a child, but from my own family as a parent. My husband and I have five adult children. When they were young, we would gather together in the family room and read about Christ's birth from the scriptures. Our daughter would dress up as Mary and our four boys would dress up as Joseph, the wise men, and the shepherds. When they got older, they wouldn't dress up, but we'd still read the Christmas Story from the scriptures together. It was a special way to remind our children, and ourselves, of the real meaning of Christmas.

Several years ago, we began another tradition. We started having German Pancakes for breakfast on Christmas morning. These pancakes are baked in the oven and grow puffy as they bake. It's fun to watch them crawl up the sides of the baking dishes as they puff up.

German Pancakes

They come out of the oven big and puffy, but fall pretty quickly as they are brought to the table. We serve them sprinkled with powdered sugar and covered in maple syrup. They are delicious! And our family looks forward to eating these each year.Another Christmas tradition we have is making Christmas fudge. I've been making this fudge for years and years. I couldn't even tell you how many pounds of fudge I've made since I started making and sharing this fudge with our family and friends at Christmas.

The recipe was given to my mom when I was a child. It's called See's Fudge. I don't know if it's really a recipe from See's or not. It has a smooth creamy texture and is delicious and quite popular with my family and friends. I'll share the recipe here on my blog in a future post.